Is it possible to use Scarlet/EPIC without any Red LCD or EVF?

[Kamilla Lusa]

hi guys,

few minutes ago one thought crossed my mind.

I was planning to use my SmallHD DP6 with the Scarlet and skip all Red monitoring solutions, LCD and EVF.

However, I wonder will I be able to do it at all. According to EPIC manual one has to enable Preview monitoring mode in order to get camera menus to show on non-Red LCD, be it HDMI or HD-SDI. I have ordered DSMC side handle in order to be able to access camera menus. But how will I enable Preview monitoring mode to view menus on external monitor if I can't see the menus in the first place?

Hope my question is clear.
Thanks,
Kamilla

 

[Andre W.]

In current builds from what I've seen "Preview" is the default setting. If it's not then you could enable it through your REDMote.... there is an option in one of the slots for "HDSDI Mode" (if u push the #5 soft key button to the right of the REDMote display, it's on this page by default). What I have noticed is if I don't have an EVF / RED LCD monitor plugged in (not even the cable into the front port), then I am able to see the menu's open up on the HDSDI, otherwise if I do have the EVF / RED LCD cable in the EPIC body, then my top row of information seems frozen. Hope this helps....

 

[Kamilla Lusa]

Thank you, Andre. That helps a lot! I wonder though if this "HDSDI Mode" option is exclusive to Redmote or does the DSMC side handle have the same capability?

 

[Andre W.]

I believe it is strictly a REDMote ability. I do not see an HDSDI user key option in the menus to be able to set say "user button A" on the DSMC handle for the toggle ability.

 

[Seth Larney]

What I have noticed is if I don't have an EVF / RED LCD monitor plugged in (not even the cable into the front port), then I am able to see the menu's open up on the HDSDI, otherwise if I do have the EVF / RED LCD cable in the EPIC body, then my top row of information seems frozen. Hope this helps....

Does anybody else have this same behaviour? This is what the menu describes should happen - but we have the same problem as the OP's question - we don't have a RED LCD of EVF here atm and can't seem to get menu's to display on the HD-SDI out. With no RED LCD or EVF attached, we get a HD-SDI output with just frame guides by default - and no HDMI output at all (tried 4 HDMI displays now and a bunch of cables).

 

[Carmine Scalzi]

My god... it's true... (this is a problem I'm facing right now but I'm still waiting for the shipment...)
We'd need some step by step instructions via sidehandle from owners with red lcd or evf ( by instance: press left > A > left 2 times etc) to let the HDMI monitor work.
Anyone could help us?

 

[Ben Garvey]

hi guys,

few minutes ago one thought crossed my mind.

I was planning to use my SmallHD DP6 with the Scarlet and skip all Red monitoring solutions, LCD and EVF.

However, I wonder will I be able to do it at all. According to EPIC manual one has to enable Preview monitoring mode in order to get camera menus to show on non-Red LCD, be it HDMI or HD-SDI. I have ordered DSMC side handle in order to be able to access camera menus. But how will I enable Preview monitoring mode to view menus on external monitor if I can't see the menus in the first place?

Hope my question is clear.
Thanks,
Kamilla

I am definitely interested in having a solid answer to this as well, as I was planning on the same thing in using my HD-SDI DP6 in conjunction with the Sidehandle, instead of the REDTouch/EVF/REDMote solutions.

 

[jimhare]

I'll check it out on mine and see if I can write a repeatable procedure for you. I'm not sure whether the Scarlet always defaults to the same menu start location each time. I'll post again when I've had a look for you.

 

[jimhare]

Bad news! Using the Side Handle, if you don't have a Red LCD/EVF it appears that you can't make changes. I wrote the entire procedure while viewing in the EVF, but when I reset everything, powered down and removed the EVF to test, I found that the Side Handle no longer changes anything.

In other words, the Side Handle appears to require SOMETHING to be displaying menus to work.

The good news is when I did select HDMI for menus, powered down and removed the EVF, the Side Handle happily controlled it and I could see everything on the HDMI screen, obviously because there was something displaying menus again.

So it seems like the solution is get your Scarlet to a Red Touchscreen or Bomb EVF to initially turn the HDMI menus on, and things should be fine from there.

I'll test it with my RedMote when it comes back this evening and let you know if I have better luck using it.

If someone has evidence that it can be done with an LCD/EVF, I'm always happy to be wrong, but I think I've tested it pretty thoroughly.

A firmware update from RED can easily have HDMI menus being active so perhaps write to Red and ask for it.

 

[Carmine Scalzi]

I've sent an email about this problem to the red support. I'll post the answer as soon as I'll get it!
I hope there is a fix about it.

@jimhare : thanx for your kindness to try to find out a working procedure to fix this problem!!

 

[Rob Anderson]

One possible suggestion for sidearm owners (without the monitor), try renting a Bomb. I understand most of them work (some do not) and you could obviously bring your system to the rental place to check out first. Bomb's are even selling in the second market pretty cheap for the moment. A good stop-gap solution while you wait.

 

[Carmine Scalzi]

Btw If I well understood, if U enable the first time the previewing monitor to the hdmi port, after reboot U can see averything on the hdmi monitor, right?
Did U try to enable the HDMI port with the hdmi monitor only attached following he procedure to enable it?
(in other words, could U enable the output hdmi monitoring for the first time with the only hdmi monitor attached following the procedure via sidehandle?)
thanx a lot for your kindness

The good news is when I did select HDMI for menus, powered down and removed the EVF, the Side Handle happily controlled it and I could see everything on the HDMI screen, obviously because there was something displaying menus again.


A firmware update from RED can easily have HDMI menus being active so perhaps write to Red and ask for it.

 

[Carmine Scalzi]

Of course you're right, but in the meantime it would be great if we could get a DIY solution for that!

One possible suggestion for sidearm owners (without the monitor), try renting a Bomb. I understand most of them work (some do not) and you could obviously bring your system to the rental place to check out first. Bomb's are even selling in the second market pretty cheap for the moment. A good stop-gap solution while you wait.

 

[jimhare]

Happy to help. I know how frustrating it is to just want something to work NOW! ;-)

Regarding your question, when I turned the Scarlet on, I had the HDMI connected but also had the Bomb EVF connected so I don't know if it would have shown the menus via HDMI had I not had the EVF plugged in.

I suppose I could go through a firmware update and try it.

Btw If I well understood, if U enable the first time the previewing monitor to the hdmi port, after reboot U can see averything on the hdmi monitor, right?
Did U try to enable the HDMI port with the hdmi monitor only attached following he procedure to enable it?
(in other words, could U enable the output hdmi monitoring for the first time with the only hdmi monitor attached following the procedure via sidehandle?)
thanx a lot for your kindness